


She-Ra: Tales of Terror and Despair

by Dinoskull



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: (proposed incest), Asphyxiation, Child Abuse, Dark, Dark Comedy, Gen, Other, Past Child Abuse, Truth Spells, chimerism, eugenics mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2020-09-30 22:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20454383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dinoskull/pseuds/Dinoskull
Summary: A place to put my darker one-shots.Mostly tormenting of Kyle, but others will suffer as well.





	1. Unwhole Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadow Weaver discusses a Kyle's medical results with the child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Mental Child abuse

Shadow Weaver looked at the physical results while one of her charges sat in front of her.

"Hmm... well that's interesting. According to this Kyle, you are a chimera."

The young boy sat, silently and attentively in his seaat as Shadow Weaver looked at his medical results, afraid of saying the wrong thing.

The woman turned her eyeslits at him, in a pose of mock warmth.

"Now Kyle, you don't have to be ashamed in  _ this case _ for not knowing what a word means. It means you have parts of two or more people."

The boy, was just .. puzzled at that.

"..how? I'm just me. Who's parts could I have?"

"Simply put, Your brother."answered the sorceress,

Well that just invied further questions.

Even Kyle couldn't restrain himself at that.

He leaped out of his chair in excitement.

"I have a brother? Where is he?! What parts is he missing? I'm sorry I didn't mean to take them, I don't remember!"

The boy winced yet drew up some courage.

“Maybe.... I can give them back if he needs to? I think I could live with one arm or leg." 

"Oh no, child. You had a brother. Who you killed in the womb."

The questions ground to a halt. 

At that moment, everything seemed to go quiet for the boy, like he couldn’t register anything. The hum of machinery all around the Fright Zone dissipated. There was only himself, Shadow Weaver, and this cold dark pit in his heart.

He shook his head.

"But I don't remember...how…" Only shock and guilt filled his mind. 

"Oh, no one can remember that far back, Kyle. But still, you got your first kill before even being born. Quite the accomplishment."

She reached down and patted his shaking head.

"I think you'll go far in the Horde."

Years later, Shadow Weaver sometimes wondered if her little joke had ruined Kyle's potential. 

Still, she told herself, as long as she had Adora, it didn't matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think Shadow-Weaver premeditated messing with the Horde Squad like she did Catra, but I'm sure she took advantage of openings when she saw them.  
Shadow Weaver is not being entirely biologically accurate here about Vanishing Twin Syndrome, because her primary goal is to be awful. The other twin tends to die before being absorbed
> 
> Also, No guarantee the brother wasn’t born as well. Tissue exchange between fraternal twins embryos can happen.
> 
> Inspired by how Kyle in the the reboot reminds me of Kyle and his brother Thad from the 80s episode "The Missing Axe".


	2. The Meek and the Terrible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hordak Finally reads all the reports blaming Kyle.  
(Assumed time-skip or canon divergence)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: asphyxiation

"I do not know which of us should be more insulted." Hordak mused, his face unreadable except for its everpresent hint of disdain.

Kyle stood at the base of the stairs leading up to Hordak's throne. Frozen in terror.

"Did you know you are listed as the cause of failure for nearly 75% of our defeats as of last quarter?" 

Kyle cursed his misfortune. He was going to die, it was clear. The normally meek boy felt a flash of fear and anger. He decided he would spend his remaining moments imagining Scorpia, Lonnie, and various others who put them in this position dying painfully.. 

"This is of course, ridiculous."

Kyle bolted up even straighter, feeling a weird mix of guilt, relief and confusion. 

"I have checked the records of your performance in the training rooms. You are slightly below average." 

An indictment of his forces in general, but Kyle was shocked that he was that high in comparison to others.

"Your performance makes you underqualified for the vast majority of missions you were allocated to. Combined with how you still kept being assigned to these after supposedly causing so much disaster, an ulterior motive is suggested."

Silence filled the enormous cavern-like room.

"You may speak." Hordak finally stated.

Words practically poured out of Kyle’s mouth:

"People like to blame me for things sir. Always have. And I think the reason I got assigned to so many important missions at first was because I was a part of Catra's squad before she got promoted."

The stop in his speech was as abrupt as its start. Yet Hordak had been able to follow every word.

The picture was becoming clearer. The young man had ended up where he was because Catra wanted a circle of those loyal to her. Then he had been kept around as a convenient scapegoat.  
His eyes seemed to glow a tiny bit brighter at his annoyance.

"Apparently Shadow Weaver failed to instill professionalism in the last few batches of soldiers.

This will be dealt with."

He turned his full attention back to the young soldier.

"And you may be useful in providing proper punishment and putting these fabricators in their place."

"Sir?" Kyle had no idea what was going on anymore.

Hordak rose from his throne and slowly walked down the steps. It was the longest minute of Kyle's life.

He gestured Kyle to follow him. After a delay of confusion, they walked over to his laboratory area.

"I shall call a few of the worst offenders to meet me today. When I point to you, you will pull this lever. "

Kyle had the strangest feeling that whatever was going to happen next should be a dream come true, but would actually turn out to be a nightmare.

\--  
Kyle was so glad Hordak said this was the last one of the day. His cathartic fantasies of his tormentors' demise had at least been quick, like a misaimed artillery strike or the jaws of a monster snapping shut.

This was so much worse even if it didn't end in death.

"As you can see, with the proper guidance, even the meekest trooper has the ability to bring about pain, and potentially death." 

The helmed lizard person on the floor writhed in pain. Both Kyle and this force captain just wanted this to end. Kyle waited for a signal, anything he could take as a sign he could turn this off.

Finally Hordak gave a wave of his hand, and Kyle reversed the switch.

The force captain on the floor slowly rose. It took about three minutes for them to collect themselves.

The door to the sanctum opened, and loyal comrades rushed to collect their asphyxiated superior.

"Before you go, I should mention that anything that can possibly be read as retaliation towards my assistant will be examined most harshly. 

Dismissed."

As the force captain was carried out, Hordak made his way over to Kyle, not speaking until he was right in front of the hapless trooper.

"Congratulations,Trooper Kyle. You are for the foreseeable future, part of my discipline procedures."

Kyle gulped. He was going to have trouble sleeping for a while. He just knew it.


	3. Something Missed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpia tries to cheer up an upset Lonnie.

"Knock knock!" came Scorpia from the open doorway to the gym.

Lonnie ignored the friendly greeting and continued exercising, lifting the bar up and down.

"Did you bring more practice dummies?" the cadet inquired.

"Uh no." Scorpia answered as she nervously scratched the back of her head with a claw..

"And in fact, inventory told me they're sick of replacing all of them and you guys are banned from using them for a while... Well just you actually due to Kyle being unable to use his hands for the near future."

Kyle and her had both torn apart so many practice dummies in a rage. But due to Kyle's poor form, he had hurt his fists until they couldn't grip well anymore. Lonnie had no such problem, and kept going, and moved onto a different part of the workout

"Luckily, Entrapta's having him test some new hands free equipment that's letting him still contribute! He's actually helping me with paperwork at the moment."

Lonnie didn't respond, so Scorpia kept talking, trying to end the awkwardness by filling the silence.

"Entrapta says its an 'assistive device'" and its inspired her to start sketching up a whole bunch of similar doo-dads. Well, when she's not busy helping Hordak. She says they'll allow permanently injured Horde Personel a 'better, and more productive quality of life" Honestly, its...nice. And probably a good idea since we've been seeing a lot more permanent injuries lately due to the princesses."

Scorpia left hanging what usually happened in the past to disabled soldiers. No one liked to think about it.

"Glad something good may come out of this." Lonnie's voice indicated the sentiment was not entirely sincere.

Scorpia attempted a cheerful demeanor but her nervous dancing around the unspoken subject matter had just brought a more uncomfortable atmosphere. 

"If only I could feel confident Entrapta won't screw it up."

Scorpia snapped up at that. "Ok, where did that come from?"

"Because that's Entrapta's thing, " Lonnie stated as she put the bard down and sat up. "She offers something wonderful, and then it turns out 'whoops!"; to be underwhelming or have nasty side effects." The last part was almost said through gritted teeth.

Scorpia sighed. "I know you're upset Lonnie, but you can't just take it out on Entrapta"

Lonnie paused in thought, staring straight ahead.

"You're right" she finally said. She turned her head towards Scorpia 

"I should be taking it out on you and Catra as well!"

"What?!" Scorpia exclaimed, in shock. "Why?!

"Because it's your fault that it happened! Because you helped Catra and Entrapta mess with the Black Garnet!"

Scorpia's shock turned to confusion. 

"Um, okay. I'm gonna need you to explain that line of thought there, because I am honestly not following."

Lonnie sighed as she collected herself.

"I looked into it. Managed to bribe Grizzlor and Octavia enough to give me the time of day and answer some questions I had.Everyone had been saying that path had always been safe! I checked the records trying to figure out 'why? Why did this happen?' 

Lonnie looked into Scorpia's eyes, making sure the officer was following along. She got off the seat and stood up to her full height.

"And I figured it out. That sea monster that attacked us always stuck to another area until you guys did your crazy storm and wrecked its home! "

Scorpia instinctively had to object: she wasn't just defending herself but Catra and Entrapta as well.

"Lonnie, you can't blame us! No one could have guessed that would leading to... that."

"I'm thinking I should," Lonnie retorted and pointed an accusatory finger at Scorpia's face. "Catra and the hair princess never think things through. That's their whole thing. If not you three, who should I blame?!"

For some reason Scorpia almost said 'Kyle", but managed to barely refrain from the automatic answer. That would have been in poor taste. The normally cowardly former-cadet-but-not-quite- -trooper (they really needed to find the proper paperwork to get these three promoted but Catra kept waving it off when she brought it up) had risked everything to toss a life ring to his teammate. If there was any chance Rogelio survived, it was thanks to Kyle.

"If you three hadn't turned this war weird, with all these artifacts and magic machines, Rogelio would still be here!" Lonnie finished.

Scorpia could only gently place a claw on Lonnie's shoulder and try to console her.

"Hey... hey, no one's KIA until you see a body," 

Lonnie pushed Scorpia's arm off her shoulder. "Given the fact no one is going to look for him, he's as good as dead."

Scorpia had tried being nice. It was time to act like a Force Captain.

"Ok Lonnie, I've tried to show discretion, but if you keep up this attitude I'm going to have to discipline you." 

Yeah, "that was good", Scorpia told herself. Nice, firm, authoritative tone. 

"No you won't." Lonnie said as she stopped before the exit. "Your guilt won't let you."

Lonnie walked out the door to who knows where, leaving Scorpia to fiddle nervously with her claws.


	4. Degrading Praise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Entrapta has found some interesting pieces of information in the Horde databanks she wants to show Rogelio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Discussion of potential breeding programs of sapeient lifeforms

“Rogelio! Rogelio! “

That voice was not a good sign.

“I found something_ amazing_ in the Horde databanks. You know, now that Hordak’s given me more access!”

Rogelio did not know. No one knew what she was going on with the princess of Dryll getting chummy with Lord Hordak; he and his squad were just glad Catra wasn’t making them watch her anymore. Lonnnie couldn’t pawn off the job to Kyle every time if they wanted Kyle to be fit to perform other chores. So Lonnie and himself had to take their share of lumps. Lonnie said something about a bread burning machine nearly taking off her head.

“It’s the initial survey logs on your species after the Horde came to this planet! ”

Still nonsense. “This planet?” What other planets were there?

Like some others he had discussed with who also dared to think about and question such things, he had assumed the Horde founders had just been descended from fools who went searching the void of nothingness only to crash home generations later.

As she pulled his arm with her hair as she ran excitedly down the hall, he grimaced remembering when she attacked him with her hair their first meeting.

Still, she dragged him to her new “office”. It wasn’t a lab so much as a place she stored paperwork so it wouldn’t catch fire if one of her projects exploded.

She let of his arm and dashed to the terminal. What she wanted to show him was already up.

“Here it is!” she squealed! “Oh, this is so exciting.”

Rogelio just huffed.

“The species, while normally engaging in parental care, seem highly precocial and individuals are likely capable of surviving in the wild on own soon after hatching. Eggs occasionally laid communally, with multiple eggs from different parents in the same nest.”

Units are instructed to setup a watch station after the next target is completed; to observe and assess the behavior of the leaderless young. “

Entrapta’s voice grew somewhat smaller and softer, as if she were just realizing something now that she was reading it out loud.

Rogelio growled for her to hurry up.

“Oh, right!” Entrapta resumed her flow. “I think we can skip a bit ahead!”

She had been trying to keep in mind Catra’s instructions on how to summarize information.

“Observations of larger members of the young tend to be protective of smaller nestmates, even acting as intentional distractions to potential predators.”

Kyle suddenly flashed in Rogelio’s mind. His watching out for Kyle he thought was his conscious vice, his rebellious indulgence. Every soldier had their own kind of way of minorly rebelling. (Lonnie’s was forcing Kyle to do her chores for her). You didn’t have to be disloyal to just…do something that’s not part of what they tell you to do.

But was he just slave to some instinct? …

“Inspired by the communal nesting, genetics analysis indicates likely high resilience to negative effects from inbreeding, which could make super soldier breeding programs feasible.

A promising member race for the Horde.” Entrapta finished with a strange sadness in her voice.

Rogelio looked down, his eyes absentmindedly noting how Entrapta’s hair trailed across the floor.

Breeding.

Supersoldiers.

His fists clenched.

Entrapta took out her recorder .

“Reflective Psychology Log 5. Reading information out loud on the Reptilons is leading to a very different emotional reaction than prior reading. I feel… sad. May be connected to information being processed by a different part of the brain when read out loud, More research needed."

Rogelio felt sick. If he were human, his knuckles would be turning white.

“I wonder why that supersoldier program was never attempted” Entrapta mused.

She then wondered if the strange emotional effect also happened to her audience. She swiveled around in her chair.

She was greeted by the reptilon standing at exaggerated attention. Entrapta looked at him with a mixture of concern and scientific curiosity.

She shambled towards him and took out a tape measure. And measured his side profile.

“Hmm… Your chest is protruding a centimeter more than usual. Are you ok? Are you having trouble breathing?”

Rogelio just pointed a shaking hand and weakly growled towards an item on her desk.

Entrapta pounded a fist on top of the other in realization. “Oh right, you need a note from me to explain why you’re late for your shift!”

Forgetting her question, she smoothly glided over in one motion using her hair as limbs.

She removed a note from the dispenser and quickly signed it.

“We can talk more about this later.” she said as she handed it to him.

“Don’t be a stranger!” She yelled as she waved goodbye.

He would do everything in his power to avoid this woman in the future.


	5. Lowest Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora, Glimmer and Bow find Hordak unconscious after a battle and demand some answers.

"Hordak!"

The clone once known Hordak as stirred from his unconscious state, to see She-Ra standing over him, her weapon aimed at his throat, and her two most common companions at her side. The Princess(?) of Bright Moon held a glowing staff.

He looked at his surroundings. 

Recently made ruins of homes and other buildings. He heard outside his vision magic being used to deal with fires, and perhaps clearing rubble. 

Everything hurt. More than usual, that is. He wasn't sure he could move.

How did he get here? Wait...it was coming back quickly.

Ah,yes.

Horde Prime had been furious for luring him to Despondos, which turned out to be a one-way trip. One could safely open portals into it, but not outwards.

While Prime worked on a solution, he sent out a few relatively small force to test the locals.

The clone that was formerly Hordak was sent along with one of them.

As a mere trooper. 

"What are you doing here, Hordak?" She-Ra demanded. "What is the Horde planning?"

He smirked sadly.

"I am afraid you must be thinking of someone else. My name is not Hordak."

She-Ra looked at her companions in puzzlement.

The <strike> Princess </strike>, Queen of Brightmoon look of restrained fury returned first.

"Nice try. You look different from the other new troopers. We can tell who you are."

The nameless clone decide to drop the playful joke and get to the point.

"Horde Prime took my name." His voice was flat, yet it betrayed a hint of sorrow.

"...What?" Was the princess's response.

"My serial code is- "

Hordak let loose a stream of chirps and peeps.

The archer raised an eyebrow. "Uh, I'm not sure we caught that."

"It is too long to be easily said in your language. What matters is that is the sole of my identity now." 

The She-Ra seemed somewhat calmed in her confusion. Somewhat off guard but not quite.

… And, was that a trace of pity in her eyes? He had to admit he couldn't read most species facial expressions well.

"How could Horde Prime take your name?" the warrior asked.

"Because it was given to me by the Horde for my accomplishments, and thus Horde Prime can take it away for my failures."

He awaited a response. Sensing none coming, he continued

"Before I arrived on Etheria, my name was all I had left. I was stripped of my rank, my medals were destroyed, and I was sent to die on a suicide mission. Horde Prime graciously allowed me to keep my name. But then, a portal opened. I arrived on Etheria next to a wrecked Horde ship.

And well...I believe you know the rest.

But...after my mistakes getting him trapped on Etheria, I am no longer allowed even that."

Glimmer wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Ugh, I knew you were awful, but that you were so bad you did something that disgusted even the Horde…"

She-Ra nodded in affirmation. "I'm a bit curious, what did you do?"

These primitives probably couldn't understand the concept of cloning, so he kept it simple.

" I was thrown aside for being weak"

She-Ra… no Adora (her name came back to him) had a skeptical look. "Wait, you of all people weren't ruthless enough?"

"Do not insult me. I meant my body not my will!"

He had never seen emotions change so quickly before without fear involved. Her companions looked aghast, but She-Ra, a former member of the Horde, just had a look of sad understanding.

Not pity, it almost certainly wasn't there now; just understanding.

"What?" It was the archer in impractical armor that spoke. 

"My kind were made in the image of the enhanced body of our creator. We were meant to be ageless, and perfect like him, dying only in battle.

I was born with a defect that only revealed itself with age. I am...slowly degrading with time, and it is not graceful." 

Why was he saying this? Why was he feeling chatty?

"And so I thus dishonored the perfection of Horde Prime by merely existing , I was an eventual mockery of his very visage."

Adora and the Bright Moon monarch looked at eachother... The latters staff stopped glowing 

Hordak felt his mind close. As if there had been a door opened without him realizing it. 

Yet he felt something banging hard against the door now. Desperate for freedom.

"But...that's not fair." The archer was upset on his behalf?

What was wrong with the bowman?

"It is perfectly fair. Fate gave me a chance to prove Horde Prime wrong; to show that I was still useful, and I squandered it.

So many mistakes... 

I let fear rush me. I focused more on trying to cure my illness than on managing my armies and resources...

The Fright Zone was an architectural nightmare....

I contacted him before having the planet secured...

I deserve this."

"What, no! " The Queen shouted.

"I mean you deserve this! But for the exact opposite reason! And you should still not have to die without a name. That's...so...dumb!"

"Can't you just say your name is still Hordak?" The archer proposed.

Hordak steeled his eyes

"No, reclaiming the name after it being taken would be treason. 

Better I die as-"

*he let loose the same stream of sounds.

"-than 'Hordak the traitor'" 

She-Ra adopted a grim expression, 

"You are not going to die." she brought her sword face down in front of her.

The Brightmoon Queen nodded in understanding

"You have information we need, and we are going to get it."

A glow began to emit from the runestone of the sword…

And the clone once known as Hordak began to heal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer's Truth Spell works vaguely and may be different than the other two attempts we see.  
Note that Castaspella tried to use a circle, while Micah didn't. So any disrepency is for plot purposed.
> 
> They decided to stop because things were getting more personal than useful intel. They can try again in a more controlled environment.
> 
> Now whether that’s out of respect for privacy or being uncomfortable starting to see Hordak as a person... up to you.


	6. Admirer from the Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Entity from the Dark Void flirts with Adora.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (written after Season 1)

"I am not requesting to join the Rebellion. I am requesting to join ** you** ."

Adora was caught off-guard, by this. She lowered her blade slightly.

"What's the difference?"

The following barrage of laughter made her tighten the grip on her sword.

" You don't even perceive the nature of your relationship, so conditioned to serve you are…

Well I do.  _ I can taste your past _ ."

Before She-Ra could overcome her bafflement to ask what the hell this thing meant by that it continued in its crackling, electrical voice.

"You are not part of the chain of command. When you disobey, Glimmer is punished not you. 

You have no land or holdings. You are a free agent.

You didn't turn on the Horde to serve the status quo. You turned on them because they offended you.

You didn't betray the Horde for your new friends, but for your ideals. You just like making friends, and they were willing after the dust of battle cleared."

Adora felt oddly calmed by this for a brief moment. This thing, strange as it was, better put her motivation in words than she had done when she tried to explain to Catra.

Then she realized how creepy it was this entity knew so much about her and She-Ra resumed her battle stance.

The cloud, or whatever it was, did not react to aggressive posture and continued.

"Once the Horde is dealt with, there will still be those in power that do not follow your code of morality, some among your current allies. You will raise your sword against them if they do not submit. Others may turn against you for daring to depose a royal. It may end with you carving a path across the planet! Enforcing your will on all who disobey!"

Adora felt a sickening sensation in her stomach. This was new. She sometimes felt sickened by praise from Shadow Weaver before, when she praised her ruthlessness, but this was different. 

"Whatever you do, it will be brilliant and glorious,"

A wisp of black smoke, too similar to Shadow Weaver's avatar for comfort, lightly grabbed her hair, playing with a lock as the rest of the cloud drew closer.

"And I want to be there and share in every moment."


	7. Birthdays

Hordak always hated being naked, even in the years before his defect started to manifest.

It was a ridiculous hangup that somewhat shamed him; the Horde that he had built had no nudity taboos.

But being naked reminded him of the lowest point of his life:

**Birth.  
**

Like nearly all Horde clones emerging from their pods, he came into the world overwhelmed.

Naked, confused at their own bodies. Trying to relate the knowledge fed into their brain throughout their growth to what surrounded them.

Electrical and drug stimulation could not fully prepare them for finally being able to interact with a physical world. Though the VR programs improved with every few generation of clones, emerging into true reality had still been overwhelming to Hordak.

And upon emergence, he was poked, prodded and examined. His mouth forced open. His reflexes tested.

Everything scrutinized.

In just a few hours, it was made clear that his body belonged to the Horde and not to himself.

Needless to say, the concept of celebrating the date of birth was foreign to him.

He would rather forget it.


End file.
